Impact of Cyclone AVA on Ambatovy Joint Venture

Sumitomo Corporation (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kuniharu Nakamura) hereby announces that the Ambatovy Joint Venture (“Ambatovy”) has been impacted by Cyclone AVA, which struck the east coast of Madagascar with strong winds and heavy rain on January 5th.

All Ambatovy personnel have been safely accounted for. However, preliminary review of the plant facilities showed that some equipment has sustained damage. Repair works are expected to be complete around the end of January, upon which production will resume. A comprehensive assessment of the full impact of the cyclone is ongoing.

Ambatovy is working with local affected communities to restore the business and the affected areas as soon as possible. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to those in disaster areas and we sincerely hope for the earliest recovery from this unfortunate event